Michaela Tassone — Kingston Theatre Alliance

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.  One day, over 140 acts, all within venues spread across Downtown Kingston: HomeGrown Live Music Festival has been managing this chaos since 2008, and this year’s event, occurring on May 2nd, is no exception. I had the chance to sit down with the Festival Coordinator, Chris Morris, just after the release of this year’s lineup, to discuss the upcoming festival and […]

How can one article accurately capture the inner-workings of 16 individual, student-written shows?  This is a thought that routinely popped into my head as I prepared to tackle writing about Theofest 2026 this past week. The festival takes place entirely within various spaces in Theological Hall—the home of Queen’s Drama and the reason behind the festival’s name. Students of DRAM439: Advanced Performance Creation will be spread out across various rooms […]

A little under a week before Grey’s Productions opens their second show, We’re All That’s Left, I had the pleasure of sitting down to chat with Director Julia Gehring and Writer/Producer Alina Siwy. We discussed what it’s like working within a newer production company, producing original works, and the relationship between a director and playwright when it comes to bringing a show to life. I start by chatting with Siwy […]

When walking into the lobby of the Baby Grand Theatre, one is rarely expecting to face philosophical questions about nature versus nurture. Yet, anyone attending opening night of House on Fire Theatre’s Blood Relations found themselves faced with that age-old question. Audiences were encouraged to mark on a line the degree to which they believe murderers are born, created, or some combination of the space in between—a perfect set up […]

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” – George Orwell One of the first classic novels I read in grade school, Orwell’s Animal Farm is one that stuck with me well beyond my eighth grade classroom. An allegory for the Russian Revolution and Stalin’s rise to power and subsequent dictatorship, the novel also carries a wider warning of the ways in which governance can be […]

A pair of rival, vicious Hollywood stars who must be kept apart at all costs somehow ending up in the same suite? What could possibly go wrong… Suite Surrender, written by Michael McKeever, is a hilarious comedy directed by Lorna Jodoin currently playing at Domino Theatre. Two feuding Hollywood starlets, Claudia McFadden (Julia Moore) and Athena Sinclair (Vanessa Costa) are invited to perform at a war benefit at the Palm […]

From the moment I stepped into the Grand Theatre on Saturday evening for the Slaight Music Video Showcase—a treasured part of the Kingston Canadian Film Festival—the space was bursting with energy: jam-packed with festival attendees and creatives alike, all eager to see the hard work of local musicians, production companies, and volunteers on the screen of the Grand Theatre.  Venturing into the lobby, the space was overflowing with well-dressed attendees […]

This article marks the beginning of the KTA’s partnership with the Kingston Music Office. We are excited to provide ongoing coverage for the vibrant music scene in Kingston and thankful for the support from the Music Office! Kingston’s very own Miss Emily is newly nominated for her second JUNO Award for Blues Album of the Year for her newest album, The Medicine. With a soulful, powerhouse voice and expressive lyrics […]

A new drama by Chloë Whitehorn, Admit Two is a one act play presented by Bottle Tree Productions that uncovers the dark, hidden secrets behind a touring circus. Upon the beginning of the show, audiences meet Dante (Craig Norton), a knife thrower for the circus who has recently been released from prison, only to find that he has been replaced by a young and feisty aerialist, Glimmer (Syd Chinnick). He sees that Glimmer has been taken under the wing of Mama Rhea (Rosemary Euringer), a maternal figure whose partner, King, runs the circus. Refamiliarizing himself with his old home, Dante encounters his old flame and clairvoyant, Persephone (Shannon Donnelly). Her harsh demeanor towards him and the others drives the story along as the cast uncovers long-held secrets and attempts to fix the many things that are broken. 

Once upon a time… Queen’s Musical Theatre’s 2026 production of Into The Woods ran for 17 shows over the course of two and a half weeks, a run that is rarely tackled by amateur theatre companies. As a performer in the show, I first wrote an article about rehearsals early in January and now I hope to capture some of the many moments that took place throughout the show run.  […]

On a frigid day this past November, I had the chance to sit down with Brett Christopher, the Artistic Director of the Thousand Islands Playhouse, to reminisce on the company’s past season. The conversation also allowed me a glimpse into their upcoming 2026 season, which is brimming with anything an audience could want, from Broadway hits to award-winning Canadian works.  This interview has been edited for length and clarity.  With […]

The production process behind student-run theatre is, in my experience, utterly unique from most amateur creation environments. The happenings behind the scenes of Queen’s Musical Theatre’s (QMT) Fall 2025 production of Into The Woods (music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine) is no exception. Opening this week at the Baby Grand Theatre, this production is one I’ve had the privilege of performing in, providing me an opportunity […]